Regular readers know I'm a big fan of Lenore, by Roman Dirge. There's something about the little dead girl that I find amusing, which doesn't sound right when you type it out. But somehow Roman makes her much more than it sounds, and countless other readers agree.

There have been a handful of products produced based on the line by Dark Horse, and they've just released a new set of three PVC figures. This set includes Lenore of course, dressed up in her bunny costume, as well as
Taxidermy and Spam Witch, with Cat and Dog. These three PVC's come boxed, and run around
$15 - $20, depending on the retailer of course. What with fewer and fewer specialty market stores out there that carry this kind of product, your best bet may be online, and I have some tried and true suggestions at the end of the review. And if you'd like to learn more about Lenore herself, check out Dirge's website.

Packaging - ***
I like boxes generally, because they are more often than not collector friendly, they tend to have fewer twisties, and they are quite easy to store for the MIBers. This box fulfills all three of those expectations, plus it's pretty damn sharp looking. There is a cardboard insert that has various graphics that can be used as a display backdrop if you are so inclined.

Sculpting - ***1/2
PVC's tend to have softer sculpts than their larger action figure cousins, but all three of these break that mold. They sculpting is fairly sharp, particularly where fur textures come in to play.

Although these are small, only standing 3 - 4" each, they have plenty of tiny details. Buttons, folds, and other specifics are well sculpted, and the expressions and stances match up nicely with the specific characters. Scale isn't perfect amongst them of course, but there's at least a passing attempt.

Of the three, I like Taxidermy the best. He's a very visually interesting character anyway, and this look is fairly iconic. I'd rank Lenore second, even though she's another version of the main character. The pose is very dynamic, and includes the small detail of the mouse on her mallet. Of course, there's no look of evil intent on her face - poor Lenore doesn't mean the harm she invariably causes.

The last on my list is Cat and Dog and Spam Witch. This pair aren't my favorite characters, and are simply less interesting to look at. In reality, the technical work on
Cat and Dog's fur is excellent for this scale, and the pose is quite interesting, but they do the least for me personally.

Paint - ***
The paint work is solid if not amazing. This is fairly average work for a specialty market release, with a little slop here and there, and few stray marks and wobbly cut lines. The quality is certainly above the usual mass market work, but that's to be expected considering the smaller run sizes and higher costs.

Articulation - Bupkis
I won't be taking off any points here, since normally PVC's don't have
articulation. But once in awhile they do, so it's worth mentioning
that there are no cut joints of any kind.

Fun Factor - **
When I was a kid, I could have plenty of fun with PVC and solid plastic figures. However, these characters aren't really intended for the kiddie crowd. These are Nerd Hummels simply done in PVC and a smaller scale, designed to look amusing in your cubicle.

Value - **
The first set of PVC's ran around $15, as I recall. Even at that
price, they were pretty expensive. These guys are running a few bucks
more at most places, making them a weak value. If you can manage to
snag them closer to $15, you can add another half star to this category.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***1/2
If you're not a fan of Lenore, then these are obviously not going to do much for you. But if you're like me, then you'll find these to be an above average set of PVC's, with a slightly high price point. Of course, with so little Lenore merchandise out there, it's likely that big fans are going to be willing to tolerate the cost without blinking an eye.